Cameras or Photography?

Is my hobby cameras (collecting, playing with, reading about online....) or is it actually photography?

So many people have made the point (again and again) that it’s really not about the camera, it’s about the photographer behind the camera. Still it seems to be an issue I wrestle with a lot. Perhaps it’s the Engineering background ... they *are* pretty cool pieces of gear after all. But really, I’d like to be a better *photographer* not just another tool that sits around reading about the latest gear online, endlessly researching the next gear acquisition. Unfortunately, it’s way too easy for me to slide into that mode of thinking.

I keep trying to jar myself out of that mode. DO something. Anything really ... don’t just sit there, mindlessly surfing. Preferably, actually DO something creative.

To that end, I’m trying to write more, take more pictures (maybe even process and post them to Flickr), play music. Whatever. But the real goal is to be more constructive with my downtime and do something creative. Part of it comes down to breaking the myth that to really relax I need to be useless. The irony is that although that thought comes through my mind pretty often the reality is much different - I actually feel more rested and recharged after doing something at least semi-useful with my time.

It may take a while, but I’m going to keep trying to break old habits and choose the path of “doing” and see where it actually leads. I’m hoping for making some long overdue progress in my creative pursuits.